New Manager DailyOne on one meeting template for managers (10 to copy)
A good one on one meeting template has five parts: their topics first, a quick check on how they're doing, progress and blockers, one thing on growth or feedback, and the actions you each agreed, with dates. Below are ten templates you can copy as plain text (weekly, every two weeks, monthly, career, a performance concern, remote, a new hire's first month, before a review, after a mistake and back from leave), one filled-in example, the invite email, and how to keep the notes.
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All ten are written out in full on this page; nothing's behind a download. Paste them into a shared doc, a calendar invite or your notes app. If you want the reasoning behind the shape (why their topics go first, what to do when they say "nothing to discuss"), our guide to having an effective 1 on 1 covers it.
How to use any of these templates
- One shared document per person, newest meeting at the top. You both add to it during the week.
- Their topics come first. The meeting is mainly for them. Your topics go after, and if time runs out, yours move to next week.
- Same time, same length. 30 minutes is the usual default. Moving it is fine; cancelling it often isn't.
- Every meeting ends with actions: who does what by when. Check last week's at the start of the next one.
- Keep private notes separate. Anything you wouldn't want them to read (your worries about their performance, something told in confidence) goes in your own notes, not the shared doc.
- Don't fill every line every week. A template is a prompt, not a form. Skipping a section is fine.
1. Weekly one on one template (30 minutes)
For most people on most teams. Use it as your default.
1:1: [name] and [your name], [date]
Last week's actions (2 min): done / not done / changed
Their topics (12 min): [added by them before the meeting]
How are things? (3 min): energy, workload, anything outside work they want to mention
Progress and blockers (6 min): what moved, what's stuck, what they need from me
My topics (5 min): updates they need, one piece of feedback (either way)
Actions (2 min): who / what / by when
The times add up to 30. If their topics take 25 minutes, let them; that's the meeting working.
2. Bi-weekly one on one template (45 minutes)
For experienced people who don't need weekly time, or when you have a large team. Two weeks is long enough for things to pile up, so this version gives more time and adds a short look ahead.
1:1 (every two weeks): [name], [date]
Actions from last time (3 min)
Their topics (15 min)
The last two weeks (8 min): best thing, hardest thing, anything that surprised them
The next two weeks (7 min): priorities in order; anything that might slip; where they'll need me
Feedback both ways (7 min): one thing from me; "What's one thing I could do differently?"
Actions (5 min)
3. Monthly one on one template (step back)
Use this in place of one regular meeting a month. It's for the bigger questions that never fit in a weekly one: goals, growth, how the job feels.
Monthly 1:1: [name], [month]
Goals check: each of this quarter's goals: on track / at risk / off track, and why
What went well this month (their view, then mine)
What they'd do differently
Growth: one skill they're working on; progress since last month; the next step
The job: "On a scale of 1 to 10, how's work feeling? What would make it one point higher?"
For me: "What should I keep doing, start or stop?"
Actions
4. Career development one on one template
Once a quarter, or when someone asks about their future. Send the questions a few days ahead so they can think.
Career 1:1: [name], [date]
Looking back: the parts of the job they've enjoyed most and least in the last year
Looking ahead: where they'd like to be in one year; in three years (it's fine not to know)
Strengths: what they're known for; what they'd like to be known for
Gaps: one or two skills between here and there
Next steps: one stretch task, one thing to learn, one person to meet
What I'll do: [the support or introduction I'll make, by when]
Review date:
Be careful with promises. "I'll argue for you at the next review" is fine if you will; "you'll be promoted next year" is not yours to give.
5. One on one template for a performance concern
For when a regular 1:1 needs to cover a problem with their work. Keep it in the usual slot so it doesn't feel like an ambush, but tell them at the start what it's about.
1:1: [name], [date] (topic: [the specific issue])
Open: "I want to spend most of today on [issue]. I'd like to understand what's going on and agree what happens next."
The facts: [what happened, when, the effect] (examples, not labels)
Their view: "What's your side of it?" (listen; take notes)
What good looks like: [the standard, as specifically as you can]
What gets in the way: skills, workload, tools, something personal
The plan: what they'll do; what I'll do; check-in date
Recap: I'll send a short written summary today
Send the recap the same day, in plain words. If the problem continues after two or three of these, it's time to look at your company's formal process; our guide on managing an underperforming employee covers that step.
6. Remote one on one template
Remote people lose the small talk in the corridor, so this version starts with it on purpose and asks about how they're working, not just what.
Remote 1:1: [name], [date] (camera on if they're comfortable)
Catch-up (5 min): anything from the week, work or not
Their topics (10 min)
How working is going (5 min): hours, interruptions, tools, feeling left out of anything
Progress and blockers (5 min)
Anything they're missing (3 min): decisions, news or conversations that happened without them
Actions (2 min)
7. New hire one on one template (their first month)
For someone new to the company, not just new to you. Meet weekly for the first month, even if the rest of the team meets every two weeks. The aim is to catch confusion early, while it's still cheap to fix.
New-starter 1:1: [name], week [1/2/3/4]
What's made sense this week (and what hasn't)
Access and tools: anything they still can't log in to or don't know how to use
People: who they've met; who they should meet next (I'll introduce)
The work: what they've done; what they're unsure is "right"
Expectations: what good looks like by the end of month one, month three
The question new people don't ask: "Is there anything you've wanted to ask but felt you should already know?"
Actions
In week four, add one question: "What surprised you about the job, compared to what you expected?" The answer tells you what to fix in the next person's first month.
Want words like these ready every morning? Take the 2-minute quiz and get a 10-minute lesson and one script a day, for every kind of 1:1 on your calendar.
8. One on one template before a performance review
A review should never be the first time someone hears something. Use this two to four weeks before the review cycle, so that the written review only confirms what you've already discussed.
Pre-review 1:1: [name], [date]
Their view first: "What are you most proud of this period? What would you do differently?"
Goals: each goal, where it ended up, and the evidence
Strengths I'll write about: [two or three, with examples]
The area to work on: [one, with an example] (they should recognise it from earlier 1:1s)
Anything I've missed: "Is there work I might not know about that should be in the review?"
Next period: one or two goals to start drafting together
If the "area to work on" would surprise them, you've found a gap in your feedback over the last few months. Say so honestly: "I should have raised this earlier."
9. One on one template after a mistake or a hard week
For after something went wrong: a missed deadline, a complaint, an incident on shift. The point is to learn and reset, not to repeat the telling-off.
1:1: [name], [date] (topic: [what happened])
How they're doing: "How are you feeling about [it] now?"
What happened: their account, in order; then anything I saw differently
Why: what made it likely (time pressure, unclear instructions, a gap in training, the process itself)
What changes: one thing they'll do differently; one thing I'll change (the process, the instructions, the workload)
Close: "This is done now. Next week we're back to the normal 1:1."
10. One on one template when someone returns from leave
For a return from parental leave, sick leave, a long holiday or a sabbatical. Keep it practical and let them decide how much to share about the time away.
Welcome-back 1:1: [name], first day or two back
Welcome: "Good to have you back. How would you like the first couple of weeks to go?"
What changed while they were away: people, priorities, tools, decisions (I'll bring a written list)
Their work now: what they're picking up, what stays with others for now, the first priority
Anything they need: hours, schedule, adjustments (I'll check what's possible and come back by [date])
Check-in: another 1:1 at the end of week one
If they mention a health need or an adjustment to their hours, don't promise or refuse on the spot; check your company's policy with HR and come back by the date you gave.
A filled-in example
Here's the weekly template after a real-looking meeting with a nurse on a ward team. The details are made up; the level of detail is the point.
1:1: Priya and Dan, Tuesday 4 November
Last week's actions: Dan to ask about the extra night cover: done, approved for two weeks. Priya to finish the new-starter checklist: not done, moved to Friday.
Priya's topics: (1) The handover sheet keeps missing fall-risk notes. Wants a line added. (2) Asked whether she can do the wound-care course in January.
How are things: tired after three nights in a row; fine otherwise.
Progress and blockers: checklist half done; blocked on the pharmacy section, needs 20 minutes with Lena.
Dan's topics: thanks for calming the family in bed 6 on Saturday; they wrote to the ward manager about it. Rota for December out on Friday.
Actions: Dan: add the fall-risk line to the handover sheet by Thursday; ask about course funding by next 1:1. Priya: checklist done by Friday; book Lena by Wednesday.
The invite email (when you start 1:1s)
When you start one-on-ones with a team that hasn't had them, a short note stops people reading it as a warning sign.
Subject: Weekly 1:1s, starting next week
Hi [name],
I'm setting up a 30-minute one-on-one with each person on the team every week. It's your time: to raise anything, ask for help, or tell me what's not working. It's not a performance review, and nobody's in trouble.
I've sent an invite for [day, time]. If that's a bad slot, pick another and I'll move it.
I've also shared a short document we'll both use. Add anything you want to talk about before we meet; your topics come first.
Thanks, [your name]
How to keep the notes
- Shared doc: agenda, decisions, actions. Both of you can see and edit it. Newest meeting on top.
- Your private notes: concerns, patterns you're watching, things told in confidence, dates of feedback given. Keep them factual: what happened and when, not your opinion of the person. They may matter later if a performance issue becomes formal.
- Write actions during the meeting, not after. Read them back in the last two minutes.
- Don't type the whole time. Short notes, eyes up. If you need detail, add it straight after.
- Know your company's rules on where notes about people can be stored and for how long. Ask HR if you're not sure.
Which template to use when
| Situation | Template | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Default for most people | Weekly | Weekly, 30 min |
| Senior or independent person, or a large team | Bi-weekly | Every 2 weeks, 45 min |
| Goals and growth | Monthly | Once a month, in place of one regular 1:1 |
| Someone asks about their future | Career | Quarterly |
| A problem with their work | Performance concern | As needed, then weekly check-ins |
| They work from home or another site | Remote | Weekly |
| Someone's first month at the company | New hire | Weekly for 4 weeks |
| Review season is coming | Before a review | 2–4 weeks before |
| Something went wrong | After a mistake | Once, then back to normal |
| Back from leave | Return from leave | First day or two back |
| Your first meeting with someone | See our first one on one meeting guide | Once |
Mistakes with one on one templates
- Turning it into a status report. If every section is about task progress, they'll stop bringing anything else. Status can go in a written update.
- Filling in their section for them. If they add nothing, ask "What's on your mind this week?" before you move to your topics.
- Too many sections. Six is plenty. A template with fifteen headings becomes a form people dread.
- Never checking last week's actions. Then nobody does them.
- Putting private concerns in the shared doc. They will read it.
- Using the same questions every week. Rotate them; our list of one on one questions to ask employees has a four-week rotation.
Questions about one on one templates
What should be on a one on one meeting agenda?
Their topics, a quick check on how they're doing, progress and blockers, your updates or feedback, and the actions you agreed. Last week's actions at the top.
Who should fill in the one on one template?
Both of you. They add their topics before the meeting; you add yours; whoever is in the meeting writes actions as they're agreed. Many managers write the actions themselves so they can read them back.
Should I use Word, Google Docs or a tool?
Whatever your company already uses. A shared document is enough; a special tool only helps if you'll actually open it every week.
How long should a one on one meeting be?
Thirty minutes weekly is a common default; 45 minutes if you meet every two weeks. Our effective 1 on 1 guide covers how often to meet for different teams.
Is there a template for a one on one with my own manager?
Use the weekly one the other way round: your topics first, your progress and blockers, what you need from them, and one question about how they think you're doing. For meetings with your boss's boss, see our skip level meeting questions.
What if they never add topics?
Ask the day before: "Anything you want to cover tomorrow?" If still nothing, open with a question instead of a blank: "What took more time than it should have this week?"
If your one-on-ones keep turning into the conversations you dread, the free leadership style quiz shows which ones your style tends to avoid. More on 1:1s, feedback and hard talks is in all our guides for new managers.
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Sources
- Andrew S. Grove, High Output Management, Random House, 1983 (on one-on-ones as the report's meeting).
- Mark Horstman, The Effective Manager, Wiley, 2016 (weekly 30-minute one-on-ones, their time first).